King to calling for VA reform with Maine veterans

Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King says he will meet with Maine veterans to call for an overhaul of the Department of Veterans Affairs' appeals process

AUBURN, Maine (AP) — Maine's Sen. Angus King says he will meet with veterans to call for an overhaul of the way the federal Department of Veterans Affairs handles appeals.

King, an independent, is set to gather with veterans caught up in the red tape of the process at an American Legion post in Auburn on Tuesday afternoon.

King is joining Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Jon Tester of Montana on legislation to overall the appeals process. The senators say more than 450,000 appeals are pending before the VA and the system needs updating.

The senators say redundancies and inefficiencies in the process mean many veterans wait years before getting a decision on their appeals.